State Tournament Day One: Underclassmen Standouts

The Minnesota State High School Basketball Tournament got started today with Class AAAA and two of the Class AA games being featured at the Target Center.

One thing that caught my eye during the action was the number of underclassmen making significant contributions for their teams. Whether it was in the starting lineup or getting key rotational minutes, many young players were making an impression on the floor today.

In this article we’ll take a look at the young talent (sophomores or younger) that made an impact on the first day of the State Tournament at Target Center.

Wayzata

Camden Heide, 8th Grade – Camden logged 11 minutes in their loss to CDH, marking a perfect 2 for 2 from the field, including one from deep, for 5 points.

Kody Williams, Fr. – Seeing considerable rotation minutes for the Trojans, Williams had 4 points, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. It was not his finest shooting night, but the athleticism that he displayed against the big front line of CDH was impressive.

Drake Dobbs, So. – He spent most of the game shadowing either Emmette Paige or Zach Theisen, and with the help of Kyler Kluge and other, the two Oriole standouts were held to a combined 18 points. In addition to his defensive efforts, he had 12 points on an efficient 5 of 8.

Connor Christensen, So. – Christensen had one of the best all-around performances of the day, registering 22 points and 11 rebounds for EP. He got them started fast from deep, finishing the game 4 for 6 from beyond the arc.

John Henry, So. – His most impactful role of the night was as the high-man in the triangle of the triangle and two defense they deployed for much of the game. His length in the zone and activeness was impressive. He also added 6 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists.

Austin Andrews, So. – Andrews was a steady force in the paint all night, collecting 6 rebounds and 2 blocks to go along with 13 points on 6 of 8 shooting.

Osseo

Cornell Richardson, So. – Richardson started the game and played 18 minutes for the Orioles, netting 10 points for the game.

Minnehaha Academy

Jalen Suggs, So. – Suggs didn’t have his best night shooting from deep, but he still managed to net 19 points on the night to go along with 5 rebounds and 4 steals. His size and athleticism at the lead guard position is special.

Kaden Johnson, So. – Another athletic perimeter player for the Redhawks, Johnson finished the night with 3 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 assists in 24 minutes.

Terry Lockett, So. – Lockett played 16 minutes in this game and got off to a slow start. He heated up a bit in the second half, ending the day with three connections from deep out of five attempts for his 9 points.

Prince Aligbe, 8th Grade – He was only 1 for 5 shooting in his 18 minutes today, but his athleticism was on display, he added 2 rebounds and 2 assists.

Chet Holmgren, Fr. – The 6’10” freshman made his minutes count today, finishing with 14 points and 8 rebounds, including an impressive 2 for 3 from beyond the arc in the contest.

Jordan

Ryan Samuelson, So. – He logged the second-most minutes of any Jordan player today, displaying an aggressive and scrappy style of play. It resulted in 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 assists.

Esko

Trevor Spindler, So. – Taking part in a marathon 3 OT game, the sophomore forward logged 46 minutes! At this point in his career he’s a very nice complimentary piece to Quinn Fischer and Adam Trapp, and it resulted in 5 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals.

St. Cloud Cathedral

Jacob Stolzenberg, So. – Much like Spindler, Stolzenberg will sleep easy tonight after playing 44 minutes in Wednesday’s contest. Primarily an outside threat this year with Plombon and Schaefer down low, Stolzenberg was able to connect on two triples on Wednesday, adding 6 rebounds to go along with his 6 points.